Food. Family. Fun

PEACH SALSA

I’ve made this salsa with nectarines and plums as well as with peaches and a variety of stone fruits, depending on what is in season, at the farmer’s market or available for U Pick. Its great with grilled pork chops, prawns, or rockfish.

INGREDIENTS

2 peaches, pitted and medium diced

1 firm and ripe red or yellow tomato, seeded and medium diced

1 firm and ripe tomatillo (optional), seeded and diced

1 firm and ripe avocado, diced

1/4 cup red onion, small dice

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

Juice of one ripe lime, about 2 tablespoons or to taste

1 TB honey

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

METHOD

Place the fruit, tomato, tomatillo, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and red pepper flakes in a bowl; toss to blend.

Gently fold in diced avocado.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

PEACHES, FRESH AND WARM

As perfect for dessert as for the main course, or for breakfast as for any meal, this recipe is easy, basic and equal parts rustic and elegant.

Simmer until the peaches are soft and tender, remove with a slotted spoon.

Reduce the leftover liquid slightly, to maximize the sweetness of the honey/juice/water mixture and to bring the flavors of vanilla and spices forward. Remove whole spices and use the reduction as a sauce for pie, ice cream, or grilled meats.

PEACH SIMPLE SYRUP

By Mike Archibald, Executive Chef, Herrington on the Bay A recipe I’ve used for various preparations throughout August and even into September with a variety of stone fruits, here Chef Mike Archibald uses his peach simple syrup recipe to make fresh Peach Soda. We love this recipe because its so fun and family friendly (Grilled Peach Ice Cream Floats anyone?) but can be made into an adult treat with just a dash of this or that.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

4 each, fresh peaches, pitted and roughly chopped

METHOD

In a saucepan, heat the sugar in the water until it dissolves.

Add the peaches and cook until the peaches are tender.

Using a blender or immersion blender, puree the mixture.

Pour through a mesh strainer to remove any pulp.

Peach soda made with peaches from Swann Farms in Calvert County, just across the line from Herrington on the Bay.

PEACH SODA

8 ounces crushed ice

3 ounces Peach Simple Syrup

5 ounces club soda

fresh peach slices for garnish.

METHOD

Put the ice in a 16 ounce chilled glass.

Pour the cooled simple syrup and soda over the ice. Stir. Garnish with the fresh peach slices and a fresh herb like lemon verbena, lemon thyme, pineapple sage or mint.

*While Chef Mike Archibald didn’t include a hit of gin, vodka or bourbon, we think these would work nicely here.

PEACH UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Based loosely on my grandma’s pineapple upside down cake, this dessert has a cake with a light crumb, vanilla flavor, slight, not cloying sweetness, and those sugary, hot, delicious baked peaches!

To make the topping: Melt the butter in a sauce pan or the microwave. Mix in the brown sugar, turbinado, syrup or honey, vanilla and honey. Spoon the mixture into the prepared 9” cake pan.

Space the peach slices on top of the sugar mixture. If you need to go retro, you can place a fresh or maraschino cherry decoratively around the peach slices, in a pattern. If you’re using nuts, scatter them in any spaces.

To make the cake:

Beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, then the salt, baking powder, almond and vanilla.

Add the milk and yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk. Loosely blend.

Add the flour, about 1/3 cup at a time, blending gently to not overwork the flour and scraping down the bowl as needed.

Spoon the thick batter over the peaches, making sure to get it to the edge of the pan. It make not fully cover the fruit, but that is fine, they will bake together.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn the pan over onto a serving plate. Wait 30 seconds to a minute more, then lift the pan off. If anything sticks in the pan, just lift it out and place it back on the cake.

Serve warm or at room temperature. My family loves it with fresh whipped cream. This cake overnights well and is perfect for a picnic…or breakfast….brunch…a gift…..

BOURBON PEACH COBBLER

One of my readers, Barbara Pease, turned me on to this delicious cobbler originated by Tyler Florence of The Food Network, which I have tweaked a little and play with depending on what’s at the market, in the fridge or on my mind.

In a large bowl, add the peaches, bourbon, ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch, spices, vanilla and lemon. Toss to mix well, coating the peaches evenly. Set aside. Can be made in advance and refrigerated, but only for a short time before the fruit releases its juice and starts to turn color. Releasing the juices isn’t necessarily a bad thing—make sure to keep them in the final cobbler preparation.

Prepare the cobbler: Sift together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add 1 ½ sticks cubed butter to the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry blender, a few (10-15) pulses in the food processor or with your hands until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs or peas. Add the yogurt or cream and mix just until the dough comes together. Don’t overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt the remaining butter. Add the fruit mixture and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Drop the dough by mounded spoonfuls over the fruit. Brush the top of the cobbler drops (also called dumplings) with heavy cream and sprinkle with white or turbinado sugar. Place the cast iron pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips that might overflow. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is browned and the fruit is bubbling.

Let me just say from the outset that we don’t watch sports. This does not make us un-American, I don’t think. It does make us a little odd….but you knew that we were already.

When I was younger, living in New York and without husband or kids or a mortgage (can you hear the ball and chain dragging across that sentence?) my friends and I would go out to a club and party all night, dragging ourselves into the door of some parent around 6 AM, who would feed us last night’s dinner and send us to bed. We would wake up in time for the Super Bowl to a house full of family and guests and a feast of football foods.

I do miss those times. I used to love to dance. Why don’t I dance more? In public, I mean.

Anyway, Super Bowl foods aren’t the best for you, but they sure are good. Here are some of my favorite Super Bowl recipes.

A Man, A Can and a Plan

My friend Florence is not a cook, by her own admission. But she has three grown men to feed, and for the Super Bowl, they want foods they can munch on, that stick to their ribs and get them through hours on the couch. This recipe is so good, so delicious, I try so hard to resist it, but I can’t. Actually, it’s not really a recipe–choose the size pan and the amount of ingredients you need depending on your crowd and add on things you like.

Spread a block of cream cheese across the bottom of a baking pan

Spread a can of chili over the cream cheese

Spread a can of green chiles over the chili

Spread grated cheese over all of it

Bake at 350 degrees until it is bubbly.

Serve with dipper chips.

You could substitute your own homemade chili, you could add fresh jalapeños, sliced green onions, diced red peppers, chunks of avocado, minced cilantro or use Fritos instead of tortilla chips. Cheeses could be cheddar, Monterey jack, pepper jack, queso blanco, or a mix of all of these.

Grilled Ham Steaks with Pineapple Glaze

For the Glaze

4 TB butter

1/2 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup rum (dark rum is best)

1/3 cup honey or brown sugar

1 TB sciracha

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium high heat until it starts to brown, just barely. Don’t scorch the garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until it reduces to a thick syrup that coats the back of a spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the Ham and Pineapple

Cut the prickly skin off the pineapple, core it, and slice it into thick rounds, about 1/2 inch or so thick.

Add the chorizo and cook, turning, until very light browned, about 2 minutes.

Pour in the cider, bring to a boil, and cook until the cider is reduced by half, about minutes.

Add to salt to taste

Serve in a small shallow bowl, with really good bread on the side for dipping in the sauce and manchego for a little extra flavor.

*Good Chorizo can be found at Tastings Gourmet Market, Giolitti’s and Whole Foods Market

**If you are using the little cantimpalitos (which I haven’t found in Annapolis, but I did find recently in NYC), then cook and serve whole. If you are using larger, softer chorizo, cut into 3/4 inch pieces on the bias.

Two of the more successful posts on this site are this oneand thisone. Both have to do with crabs.

There are three– no four or more– reasons crabs are on my mind today:

#1 I went to the most FABULOUS dinner party last weekend and the passed hors de’hoevre was my friend Ken Upton’s unbelievable crab cake, served so simply on a cracker, with an exquisite champagne.

#2 We visited the Outer Banks, North Carolina (OBX) where the crabs were prolific and #2 was obsessed with pulling them in one by one, then watching them die a hot, boiling death on the stovetop. Little boys, man…..gotta love ’em.

#2 with his crab net. Sunset over the Pamlico Sound, OBX

#3 I was invited to visit Executive Chef Charles McKnew at Ports of Call in Annapolis, where I was reminded that Crab Season in Maryland is almost over, but you can still get good pasteurized fresh crab for amazing dishes, many of which happen to be perfect as holiday fare.

#4 #1 is learning about water conservation in the Chesapeake with Girl Scouts. We recently talked about the local crab scene. The season for catching Maryland crabs ends in early December, which makes me feel a little pressure about sourcing good crab and using it in all my favorite dishes….stat!

Feisty little f-k-r, right? For so small a creature crabs do think they are tough….

Crab cakes, crab soup, crab balls, cream of crab, Maryland crab, crab Imperial, crab, crab, crab. It is a regional staple. Maryland crabs are the of stuff love, memories and parties around here. They can make or break your next relationship, soiree or even midnight crab cake and a beer snack. (I don’t have crab cakes as a midnight snack, but I know people who do….)

Chef Charles McKnew is a native Marylander and grew up around the water outside Annapolis. You would think he would be tired of making, much less eating crab, but claims that he still loves an old fashioned weekend crab feast and that he isn’t sick of using crab in his restaurant. He goes through no less than 50 pounds every week!

I recently visited McKnew in his kitchen, where the dining area is notably decorated with numerous plaques recognizing his many first place wins at The Capital’s annual Crab Soup Cook Off, a popular event at the Maryland Seafood Festival. This year McKnew won third place from the judges, but first place from the People’s Choice for his traditional cream of crab soup. He’s won this award several years in a row, and says he hasn’t tired of the elation and sense of accomplishment that goes along with the plaque. You can read about the contest and how incredibly hard he works just to get his soup to it here.

Executive Chef Charles McKnew, Ports of Call, Annapolis

I would think that if you are so used to winning, it would be quite the plummeting fall to lose. Especially when your friends and family are watching and your employees who’ve cheered and helped you along and really want that win are biting nails over your performance. McKnew admits that the anxiety can be tiring. Even so, he says he won’t quit until the day he does lose, so I think we will be seeing him around for some years to come.

When I was at Ports of Call I was fortunate enough to meet two very interesting customers. One was an old retired Catholic Priest. Barely able to walk, he still visits the restaurant with his friend, an equally elderly Jewish businessman, every. single. week. They are devoted fans. Especially of the crab cakes. They waxed poetic about McKnew’s crab dishes and say they bring in all their friends from the old folks home to try them.

Actually, Chef says he is way over the soup. I don’t blame him. With that in mind, he’s been working on some new menu items that launched this fall. He let me taste each one, and I have to say, one was better than the next. I couldn’t possibly choose one to pick as a favorite. They were all homey, rich, comforting and delicious. And not difficult to make!!!

Crab Stack with Mango, Avocado and a trio of sauces

One of McKnew’s latest creations, he says this dish takes ten minutes or less, start to finish.

Below are McKnew’s tips for working with crab.

Here is a link to several of his latest crab recipes. Seriously, these are perfect for the holiday table, not only because they are delicious, but also because they are special, impressive, seasonal, local and achievable. Like I always say: Bonus, Bonus and BONUS!

If you are buying crab to use in preparations like salad, Imperial or sauté, it is paramount to use high quality meat. “It’s like steak—you could spend three-quarters of the money and get an old piece of leather or you can spend the whole amount and get something good”.

Buying local is the only way to ensure quality product. He recommends Annapolis Seafood. I like Wild Country Seafood in Eastport, but they have very limited hours this time of year. McKnew says some area grocers are bringing in good product…I’m not too sure about that. I’ve seen some sketchy looking stuff around town. Try Whole Foods Market, Graul’s or Costco, and make sure its actual Maryland crab. Some products are actuallyAsian crab, literally dipped in chemicals then shipped to Maryland for canning. Because the product is finished in Maryland it can use the Made in Maryland label. Not the same thing at all. And a huge slap to the hard working Maryland crabbers and pickers who are trying to earn an honest living.

Use fresh, unfrozen crab. Frozen crab is no bueno at Ports of Call, though McKnew says that with no small measure of reticence, since he knows some folks do freeze their crab and don’t seem to mind. “Frozen meat might work in casseroles or some soups, but it really isn’t best for dishes where the large bites of crab need to stand out”.

Use jumbo lump for most dishes. Fall crabs are the best crabs because they’ve been putting on meat and fat in advance of hibernation. “The meat is just perfect this time of year. The fresh jumbo lump meat you can find now holds together well and offers full bites of flavor”, McKnew told me. You can use other grades of crab for applications like soup, but that jumbo lump is best when the crab is the highlight of the dish. Learn about how to buy whole crabs and how to select grades of meat.

Work gently and delicately with the crab meat. Unless you are lucky enough to be catching your own crabs, and in that case unless you are willing to pick the crabs to make a recipe, most folks buy cans of local pasteurized crab. It’s expensive. And delicate. “You really have to be careful with handling the pieces of crab”, McKnew advises. “You don’t want to break up the pieces while stirring or mixing. This would affect the flavor and the texture of the dish, and you could end up with small, mealy shreds instead of full bites”.

Always add the crab at the end of a recipe. “Pasteurized crab is already cooked, so you really only need to bring it up to temperature”, he says.

Do you have a favorite local crab recipe? If so, please email me or send me a message on Facebook.

Editor’s note: Our area has many good doctors who are well educated on Celiac Disease and Gluten Allergies. Check with Anne Arundel Medical Center (contact Anne Caldwell). If you think your child is suffering from Celiac Disease or an allergy, you may want to talk to Dr. Rebecca Vickers, of Arundel Pediatricswho specializes in childhood treatments. I highly recommend her.

Photo Courtesy of Tricia King

Tricia King was a professional pastry chef long before she opened her Gluten Free Bakery Girl cafe and wholesale bakery in Easton, Maryland. You may have seen her tarts, cookies, breads and other baked goods at Tastings Gourmet Market, Bean Rush Café, Leeward Market, City Dock Coffee and other spots around AA and Talbot Counties.

I recently caught up with her to learn more about her passion for food and her new business adventures. In between you can see some of her mouth watering creations.

Gluten Free Bakery Girl Cinnamon Rolls photo by William Wilhelm

FFF: So it seems like everyone is on the Gluten Free train lately.

Recently I overheard a parent insist their child had a dangerous gluten free allergy. Then she brought in a dairy free pie for the kids that had a typical wheat crust.

I also had a friend run out to get “Gluten Free” frosting for her cupcakes. FROSTING IS GLUTEN FREE! Its powdered sugar and butter!!

I feel like this is a fad that has gotten out of control because either people who do have a serious condition won’t be taken seriously, or people who are hyped about the marketing are forgoing nutritious whole grains for rice flour.

So lets talk about exactly what “Gluten Free” means:

GFBG: Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, even modified food starch. Basically anything related to wheat or made from wheat, including couscous, pasta and Ferro. Celiac disease prevents the digestive system from processing wheat proteins. The body starts to physically reject the unprocessed food. The small villi that line the intestine become damaged and nutrients can’t be absorbed into the body. The patient eventually suffers from severe malnutrition.

Gluten intolerance–Crohns disease, Lyme’s Disease, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome–causes inflammation in the body which usually presents as stomach pain, rashes, migraines, swelling and other arthritis-like symptoms. There is no miracle cure for these conditions, but research has shown that when patients eliminate gluten, it prevents little problems like aches and pains from becoming big problems like persistent migraines.

I want to provide people who suffer from gluten allergies a safe and delicious alternative for all those foods they wish they could eat, but sadly can’t.

FFF: You had a successful career at The Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels. Why open a Gluten Free Bakery? That’s a pretty specific business model.

GFBG: So I know gluten sensitivities exist and I know the only way to address them is to go completely gluten-free. Some Celiac patients can’t have even a drop of gluten without getting seriously sick. But we all want cookies and cakes and good bread. I wanted to use my pastry experience to make delicious treats for all my customers.

I started practicing, developing recipes, and eventually got into farmers markets in Kent Island, Annapolis and Easton. I came about my shop at the Easton Market Square and the wholesale side of the business serendipitously because Lehr Jackson, who owns the building, agreed to help me build a completely gluten free kitchen so that I could have a clean baking space and expand my business beyond the sandwich shop.

I just have a strong sense that this is what I should be doing. I do the wholesale because I can introduce new items frequently and I have control over the manufacturing. I personally bake, package, and deliver. I don’t have any wastage and my customers have happy customers. That makes me feel good.

Gluten Free Bakery Girl Brownies. Courtesy Photo

FFF: Some businesses claim to have Gluten Free products but are actually selling contaminated goods because they have been shelved near or even touched conventional goods. This mis-labeling is such a peeve of mine. How do you maintain quality gluten free standards?

GFBG: No gluten whatsoever passes my threshold. There are no other bakers in the building. I do this for people that have celiac so I have to make sure there is no contamination at all. I am working to get an official gluten free certification. It is very expensive. Every single product I use is routinely tested to guarantee the certification. I never order gluten free mixes—everything I sell is completely from scratch.

FFF: What do you recommend for home bakers who want to go Gluten Free?

GFBG: For me it works great to make my own baking mixes, but for the home baker it means you have to buy 10 different flours and they are not cheap.

I really like Bobs Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour, which you can find at many area stores, or Cup 4 Cup, which is at Williams Sonoma. Watch out for mixes with Garbanzo Bean or Fava Bean flour or the mix called Garfava flour: these have a very beanie flavor which I only like when I eat hummus!

Let’s talk for a moment about street food. Budapest is obsessed with it. They even have a Street Food festival. I want to be happy for them that they celebrate food. Instead I am jealous. Very jealous. And sad. Because I should still be there.

Largos….ahhh the memories. This one had a roasted red pepper sauce and Hungarian soft cheeses…..

Largos is like a deep fried pizza crust that is so tender on the inside and so light and crunchy on the edges you could cry. It’s served either sweet or savory. More recipes here.

Largos before the toppings…do you see all those air pockets??? soft and tender and crispy all in one bite!

So think a lovely red pepperor tomato sauce topped with hot melted cheese, or sausages and roasted veg. OR think Nutella with bananas and whipped cream and tried cherries. Or slivered almonds and dripping farmstead honey. Or walnuts with roasted apples and caramel sauce. I’m salivating…seriously. And thinking about going out to buy a fryer.

Burgers are everywhere. They are big and they are juicy and they make a vegetarian want to go raise, butcher and eat their own herd. FYI: The best burgers are from the food trucks. These guys seem to be working harder at making a better burger and it shows all over your face when you are dripping grease and smiling from ear to ear. Also wicked cheap. About $4 for a huge burger and $1 for fries. Ketchup extra!! (??).

The Zing Burger. Courtesy photo

A little inside scoop on eating in Budapest: there are many, many, MANY wonderful restaurants, cafes and casual restaurants of every sort. Try the Italian and Turkish spots off the beaten path, which are especially and surprisingly good, given that you are in neither Italy nor Turkey, but that there are a lot of Italians here and that Budapest was occupied by the Turks for 150 years.

OF COURSE you should make lots of belly room for Hungarian specialties. There are Michelin starred restaurants in Budapest, but I wasn’t super thrilled with any of them compared to less publicized places. Budapest has so much to offer, so I wouldn’t advise staying in just one neighborhood or relying only on your guidebook (which you should toss out the window anyway).

Two of my favorite spots are in the Buda Castle district. Favorites because A1 made me go to them 4 times and I didn’t order a dish I didn’t like. And because we were so happy and romantic and relaxed there….Pest Buda Bistro is owned by the same family that owns 21, Pierrot and Balthazar. It’s true they are dangerously close to the Hilton and so make my Too Touristy designation, but they make up for it with great food. Balthazar has a slight edge for romance since it is a couple of blocks off the main drag.

The view from Balthazar is of this crumbling ancient church tower, the Maria Magdolna Torony . Hardly any street traffic passes by and the service is nice and slow, so it’s just the perfect example of how atmosphere can elevate the total dining experience.

….On the other hand….

I hope you don’t think you are too good for this kind of food, because it is rib-sticking delicious!

…is this place: hidden, sort of barely post-Communist feeling and full of locals. That’s why I love it. Across from the Hilton, in the large yellow building (look for the Fortuna Etterem sign), there is an arch. Pass halfway through it, en route to a quiet, hidden courtyard (which happens to have several hidden souvenir shops housed in a glass church). On the left is a door. Pass through it, go up the stairs (check out your skinny self in the mirrors, cuz that won’t be the view on the way down), and enter the vacuous, old-school, self-serve cantina whose name I really don’t know. .

Go all the way to the opposite end of the room, grab a tray and proceed through the cafeteria line where old school dishes with bulgur and cabbage and filets and sauces and mushrooms and paprika and everything you ever loved about your grandma’s kitchen is waiting for you. It’s awesome.

I don’t know about you, but my grandma thought hot dogs were a complete meal.

All that kiddos, for about $4

2) The Baths: they are incredible and they are a wonderful way to meet the locals and checkout the international scene.

Hungary is a land-locked nation. The Danube River runs through Budapest, but it also flows through nine other countries and is more or less a nautical highway so of course you wouldn’t dip a toe in it.

Tell me, would you rather spend your day HERE, on the rocky shores of the Danube….

Or here, in an urban paradise???

Szenchenyi Baths sorry for the water drops on the camera….

Budapest’s beach is its 123 natural springs and several thermal baths. We went to the Szechényi baths, located near the zoo, circus, Hero’s Square and City Park (none of which we visited, which tells you quite a lot about us).

This is where Bono comes in.

Imagine that I am lying, naked as a jaybird, on the massage table, soft breezes and the murmur of the crowd below floating through the open window, the scent of aromatherapy oil and cheap candles pervading the room, my face settled into that little hole where all you can do is stare at the floor and focus on relaxing.

There are outdoor pools as well as indoor therapy pools.

A1 is also in the room, opposite me (but he has his trunks on). The masseuse, probably thinking she is creating a nice mood for us, puts an actual TAPE into an actual TAPE PLAYER of U2 dubbed by a deep, rich, operatic, Eastern European accented baritone. The first song is With or Without You, sung as slow and as longingly as possible so that it actually makes you want to weep with the sadness of it. Followed by Where The Streets Have No Name, equally longingly. I was trying hard to recall all the movies with the prototype Russian bar singer wailing covers of old love songs, but all I could come up with was Tina Fey and Kermit from The Muppets.

The voice of the tragic baritone was transformative. And awesome. And the exact reason why I love to travel: you can’t get this anywhere else but in that place, in that moment! Check out what a relaxed noodle I was. Entry to the baths and a one hour massage for $45 US.

After your exhilarating swim or therapeutic dip, you can eat in the restaurant. Its not bad- Hungarian specialties like fried pork cutlet, plus fresh fruit, beer, sodas and a couple of desserts and grab-and-go candy bars. My suggestion is either the roasted chicken or the awesome spicy sausage, served with a side of potato croquettes.

Listen, all the skinny French girls were eating this like it was ice cream and their bare little asses still looked great, so you should totally not worry about what is in it OR how you will look after…that is a distinctly American sort of guilt, which does you absolutely NO GOOD in Budapest.

3) The drivers: We all know that driving in most American cities is a risky proposition. In Budapest, the transit system of trolleys, busses, subway and trains is really easy to use, so a lot of folks don’t drive. The folks who do have a healthy respect for pedestrians, and vice versa. Here’s what they means for the traveler: crosswalks are sacred territory. Inside the lines is like being accepted into a sanctuary. Outside the lines, you are free game. I like that kind of clarity and clear expectations.

Beware that many busy intersections have stoplights for pedestrians as well as cars. I didn’t see a single case of jaywalking. I did see surveillance cameras on every block. That should tell you something!

4) History– you are literally steeped in it. Every step is a lesson in Western Civ. In order to appreciate Budapest, you need to appreciate the story of how and why it came to be. History touches EVERYTHING about the city, from how it was laid out, to how it looks today. Don’t just get off your cruise and stumble around town, not really knowing what you are looking at. Even if you have to walk with the tourist guidebook, take a second to appreciate the centuries of settlement, destruction and rebuilding these people have endured.

5) The “muzeums”: You could get to know the best parts of Budapest simply by staking out the museums, which are all over town. Even if you don’t like museums, you should go to them here. Some have a modest entry fee ($5-8) and some are free. Most have excellent English descriptions of what you are looking at. Otherwise, just get the audio guide.

Our favorites are below. If I get any extra energy or time I give more details on each later, or you can email me:

6) The people: I had never met a Hungarian in my life before I went to Budapest. I LOVE HUNGARIANS!

Since we stayed at the Hilton, we had to endure busloads of tourists coming in from the Viking Tours. I heard several ignoramuses say the Hungarians are rude. WHAT??

People who spontaneously dance like this (those aren’t tourists, folks!) on a Wednesday afternoon are my kind of people.

OK, if you compare Hungarian rapport to some other nations, their naturally curt, slightly suspicious nature may seem rude. But since you are traveling, you should have an open mind and do as the locals do. For example, when you walk the street in the morning, don’t feel compelled to look everyone you meet in the eye, say good morning and ask if their mother is well. Just walk. Do your thing. Mind your own business.

Hungarians like to eat and to drink. If you can’t get along, just go along, or so my mama told me…..

When you need help, don’t try to be best friends. Don’t feel compelled to draw the person into your loveliness as if your circle of sunshine will make their world bright.

Their world is what it is, and its fine without you, so ask your question, get the answer and move along.

If the answer is no, don’t look for excuses as to why or expect a list of alternatives. Just take what you get, and move along. When the supermarket check out lady throws the receipt at you, don’t take it personally. Watch: she does this to everyone. I LOVE this black and white, low maintenance, no need to brush your teeth or put on a bra because you won’t be talking much and no one is looking at you anyway approach.

7) The Danube: Have you ever seen light like that? Have you ever gaze at a concrete-lined river and actually wished you could travel it? Did you ever look at the Potomac and really think it could take you to places you’ve only read about or dreamed of? PS: its not Blue. It is shades of green and brown depending on the weather and season.

8) The life: these people LOVE to party! Seriously, the entire town is lit up at night and there is always something going on in Budapest. If folks aren’t at a festival or a cafe, they are having parties on private rooftops or in gated courtyard gardens.

Folks of all ages love to party, whether its over a chess game at the baths or a glass of wine at a street festival.

I only take selfies with A1 when I am A: half drunk, which for me means one glass; or B: having an extraordinarily good time, which YOU WILL DO IN BUDAPEST

There are several wine regions in Hungary. Don’t get tied to the popular Tokaj whites or Bulls Blood reds from Eger. Just try as many as you can.

I had one glass of wine for 400HUF and a burger with fries for 1200HUF, making me a $5,75 date!

The best way to do this is at a wine festival. Imagine your town’s main street turned into a wine tasting room and that is Budapest’s idea of a weekend activity.

You pay 900HUF ($3) for a Spiegelau wine glass, plus however much you want for tickets. You use the tickets to pay for wine by the glass. Most of the glasses are about 400HUF ($1.75), with really special cuvees up to 2400HUF (about $8). You could reasonably spend $10 US on a night out. A lantern lit, romantic night, no less.

Or you could pony up for a wine tasting, a day in a wine school, or a visit to a specific wine region.

10). The Churches: Yes, Budapest was formerly a Communist nation. But before, during, and after that time, it was primarily Roman Catholic, with the requisite appreciation for medieval church history and macabre artifacts like St. Stephen’s right hand and St. John’s foot.

The flags that line the interior of the church are from actual battles against the Turks in the 16th century. The balconies were built to accommodate women when the church was converted into a mosque during the Ottoman occupation. This church is where King Stephan and countless kings after him were married and crowned.

Old meets new as St. Matthias is reflected in the windows of the Hilton Hotel.

I am not getting the foot. I mean, theoretically and historically, I get the foot, but I feel like the corpse is missing it.

You should also visit St. Stephan’s Basilica, the Great Jewish Synagogue on Dohany Street (one of the largest in the world, with fabulous architecture and art and a Jewish Museum), or any of the smaller cathedrals in between these.

11) The architecture and monuments. Oops-there are more than ten reasons I *heart* Budapest. Monuments, statues, bullet holes in buildings, royal entries, parapets, domes, paintings…it’s literally Disney land for adults.

View from Buda (Castle Hill) to Pest. You can see the Eye in the distance.

12) Did I mention the food? If not, imagine for a moment what these would taste like. Don’t lick your screen.

Poppy Seed pastry with apple

Authentic Goulash

Festival food

Aperol Spritz, my latest addiction

desserts. Endless desserts

If you’ve made it to the end of this post, congratulations! I hope you are inspired to go to Hungary. You can of course, comment or email me and I will get back to you ASAP.

PS:

Here are some recipes I am going to try this fall, as I seek to recapture the sense of relaxation and wonder I had in Budapest.

Mary Lou Baker (right) and her co-author Holly Smith show off their brand new food and travel book at the Annapolis Barnes and Noble bookstore.

So last weekend I went to the Key School Book Fair, where Mary Lou Baker was giving a brief talk about her book A Seafood Lover’s Chesapeake Bay. Mary Lou is a very friendly, incredibly genuine and generous person, and in the spirit of finding someone wonderfully decent in this crazy, indecent world, I thought of how nice it would be to hear her story. You can read about our rendezvous here.

She allowed me to include a couple of recipes from the book in the paper and on the blog. You can have 3. But I encourage you to buy the book, which not only has a ton of information on the many little towns that dot Maryland’s Chesapeake region, but also tidbits about cool people, festivals, events and places to go in the region. Plus 100+ Maryland seafood recipes!

Photo courtesy of Wild Country Seafood in Annapolis, MD

First: a drink. File this under “A Marylander’s Must Have Conversation-Starter”

Harrison’s Famous Oyster Shooter

Recipe Courtesy of Harrison’s Harbor Watch, Ocean City, MD

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 Chesapeake Bay oyster, shucked, natural likker reserved

2 oz chili-infused Finlandia vodka

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

1 1/2 oz cocktail sauce

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes black pepper

1/4 lemon wedge

Method

Place shucked oyster, including likker, in a small rocks glass.

Pour chilled vodka over ice in a cocktail shaker

Combine vodka and all other ingredients except the lemon wedge in the glass with the oyster. Stir well and garnish with lemon wedge.

NOTE: to make the chili-infused vodka, add 7 hot dried chili peppers (chile de arbor are recommended) to 1 liter of Finlandia vodka. Let infuse for 2 weeks. Vodka will naturally take on a golden amber color when ready.

Photo by ForagingforFlavor.com

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes (a sacred recipe in my humble opinion)

Recipe courtesy of Ken Upton, Ken’s Creative Kitchen, Annapolis, MD

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb jumbo lump Maryland crabmeat

1 egg

1 TB Dijon mustard

1/4 cup mayonnaise (homemade with lemon would be great)

1/2 ts salt

1/4 ts pepper

1/4 -1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

Method

Carefully pick over crabmeat to remove cartilage and bits of shell. Set aside.

Combine egg, mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well.

Add the crabmeat to the mayonnaise mixture and stir until combined. Add enough bread crumbs to form a sticky mixture.

Shape the mixture into 4 crab cakes and sauté in a buttered skillet over medium heat until golden brown.

Carolyn’s Crab-Shrimp Dip

recipe courtesy of Blue Crab Cafe, Crisfield, MD

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

3 heaping TB backfin crabmeat

4 large shrimp, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Pimiento-spread cheese

3 shakes Worcestershire Sauce

3 shakes Old Bay Seasoning

5-6 shakes Montreal Steak Seasoning

Mix all the ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes.

Carefully remove bowl from the microwave and scrape dip into a microwave-safe glass casserole dish. Microwave for 2 minutes more, or until bubbly and heated through. Serve with pita crisps or chips.

Drunken Dancing Prawns

Recipe Courtesy of Blue Point Provision Company, Cambridge, MD

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 TB canola oil

16-20 prawns

1 ounce sake

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 TB rough-chopped cilantro

2. oz shredded red onion

2 oz julienned carrot

1 green onion, cut on the bias in 1 inch pieces

1 oz cognac

1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce

1/4 cup canned coconut milk, stirred well

6 oz steamed jasmine rice

toasted sesame seeds

Method

Heat oil in heavy skillet over high heat

While the oil is heating, marinate the prawns in the sake with half the garlic and cilantro.

Sear the prawns briefly in the hot oil.

Add the red onions, carrots, green onions, and remaining garlic, and simmer to soften the vegetables

Add the cognac, stirring to deglaze the pan.

Add the chili sauce and coconut milk. Adjust to taste, adding more chili sauce for a spicier flavor and more coconut milk for a milder taste.

Place a generous scoop of steamed rice in the center of an Asian bowl and pour the prawns and sauce over the top. To serve, sprinkle with sesame seeds and the remaining cilantro.

Wings are an essential part of my husband’s diet. Basically any flavor of wing is fine with him, barring anything too spicy. That’s a shame in my book, but I am learning to deal with it.

Lack of heat withstanding, here are three super flavorful, super easy wing recipes. In truth, my entire family loves each of these recipes, even Picky Pemberton (aka #2).

For each of these recipes, simply mix the ingredients in a blender, food processor or Vitamix, pour over the wings (about a pound or two) then grill over medium high heat or broil in the oven. Once you’ve worked your way through these recipes, take a look some other yummy-looking goodness at quichentell’s.

A NOTE: when grilling meats marinated in a sauce that contains sugar (sugar, honey, syrup, yogurt, teriyaki, sweet sauces, etc.), the fire reaches out to taste that yumminess, and of course the dripping chicken fat, which can lead to flare ups and easy burning. The way to avoid this is to really clean your grill and oil it before cooking, then keep a close eye on the wings. OR go the easier route and use non-stick foil to line the grill surface. This method isn’t super authentic, but it does help with the sticking and burning.

ALSO NOTE: these marinades are also great for other cuts of chicken, thick cuts of firm fish or prawns, pork chops and even skewered meat. Super easy and super versatile, just the way we like it.

#1

A Sweet and as Spicy as you want it Marinade for Wings

Ingredients

6 large garlic cloves, peeled

2 TB sugar (I like raw sugar for this recipe)

¼ cup fish sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

3 TB honey or agave

3 TB rice wine

2 TB dark sesame oil

1 TB lime juice

1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled (about 1 TB)

1 ts black pepper

1 Thai bird chili, or to taste OR

as much Sciracha as you prefer. Start with 1 ts then add to taste.

Method

If using a food processor, pulse the garlic, chili, sugar and ginger into a paste. Then add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth. If using a Vitamix, simply add it all to the machine and process. Pour this marinade over your chicken wings and marinade, 1 hour or more. Garnish the grilled wings with minced cilantro, thin slices of red onion, minced green onions and roasted, chopped peanuts.

Combine all the ingredients into a glass or plastic (non-reactive) bowl. Stir to mix. Add the wings and marinate 1-2 days.

Remove the wings and heat the grill to medium high.

Strain the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat until thick and syrupy, about 5-8 minutes.

Grill the wings, brushing with the marinade in the last half of cooking.

Serve the wings with any leftover marinade. Since you will be serving the marinade as a garnish, you need to be mindful that you don’t put any raw or under-cooked chicken bits or juices into it.

#3

Moroccan-Style Marinade

I adore Moroccan food, ever since my first encounter with it when I was in college. The alumni relations office asked me to check in on a Moroccan visitor affiliated with the school. She loved me (of course) and cooked for me everyday. This isn’t her recipe, but it reminds me very much of some dishes she made for me.

Of the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make?” – a traditional Irish ditty

My kids love St. Patrick’s Day. My son pulls out a much cherished, bright green leprechaun hat and wears it. All day. All over. My husband likes Irish whiskey and Irish stout and Irish Stew and Irish bread pudding. Basically, our home becomes an Irish tavern for a couple of days. Here is a recipe for some Irish Cream if you need a little something to take the edge off of this holiday that isn’t even a real Irish holiday!

Any excuse to party, right?

My article for last week’s Flavor section in the Capital Gazette was all about Irish food. I recently interviewed Sean Lynch, General Manager of Galway Bay and the Irish Restaurant Company in Annapolis, as well as Head Chef Kevin Duffy. Sean comes from Cork, and has a wonderful infectious affection for authentic Irish foods.

Irish cuisine has long had a sad reputation for potatoes, lamb and more potatoes. In fact, Ireland’s verdant fields, along with a food culture long steeped in farming and artisanal, small batch production, are the genesis for a bounty of cheeses, butters, creams, vegetables, greens and yes, particularly delicious lamb.

Sean helped me identify some traditional Irish foods, in case you plan to visit a local pub and want to know what’s on your plate. If you want to make your own St. Patty’s celebration, there are also links to recipes.

Photo from foodrepublic.com

Colcannon is made by mixing mashed potatoes with cream or milk, seasoning simply with salt and pepper, then flavoring with scallions, leeks, onions or chives. There are many regional variations of the dish, which is typically eaten with boiled ham or Irish bacon.

Recipe Here, Hereand HereBlack and White Pudding * Black Pudding is a sausage made with pork blood and spices, held together with oatmeal or barley and stuffed into a pork casing. White Pudding is a similar rustic sausage, though made with pork meat and fat rather than blood. Black and White Puddings are an essential element of the Full Irish, served boiled, fried, grilled or broiled, whole or sliced. If you want to make the black pudding, you need several cups of fresh pigs blood as well as suet. I’m thinking you might want to order it.

Recipe Here, although that’s a stretch even for me…. and for the White Pudding Here

The Full Irish or the Ulster Fry * Ireland has traditionally been a country of laborers. Folks headed to farm and field need a filling breakfast, known as “the Full Irish”. The elements of this diner-style dish vary by region, but typically include fried eggs, Irish bacon rashers, sausage, Black and White Pudding, field mushrooms, fried or grilled tomato, toasted soda or brown bread and boxty. Lately, many of these parts have been pushed together into a “breakfast roll” similar to an American breakfast burrito, that is commonly sold as fast food. An Ulster fry is eaten at any time of day and omits the white pudding.

Recipe ideahere.

Irish Stew is a hearty soup made with lamb (mutton), a vegetable broth and only a few vegetables. Traditionalists claim a good Irish stew has just meat, potatoes, carrots and onions. It is not typically seasoned with Guinness, which an Irishman would rather just drink! That being said, Irish stew doesn’t rely on herbs or spices for flavor and can be a bit bland, so a little stout does give it some body. Recipes for Irish stew vary by cook, so you may find a more seasoned or veg heavy rendition and it will be no less authentic or delicious. In America, lamb is more expensive than beef so many stateside recipes use cubes of cheap beef cuts.

Rashers are thin slices of Irish bacon, which comes from the back of the pig, and is less “streaky” or fat than American bacon, which typically comes from the pork belly. Irish bacon may also be the eye of the pork loin. Boiled, grilled or fried rashers are common on menus and are almost always included in The Full Irish. You will need to order Irish rashers, or ask your local butcher.

Corn Beef and Cabbage- Few dishes are more ubiquitous to St. Patrick’s Day than Corned Beef and Cabbage. In fact, corned beef more likely came from Eastern European, Jewish immigrants who shared the tradition with Irish newcomers. It’s a dish not popular in Ireland itself, though it is common on American Irish Pub menus because it is flavorful, filling and contains cabbage—that most Irish of vegetables.

Soda Bread– soda bread is not sandwich bread, though folks unfamiliar with Irish cuisine may think so given how easy it is to find in stores this time of year. It is a slightly sweet bread with a beautiful brown crust and soft, chewy interior, made with baking soda and buttermilk and eaten with salty Irish butter and jam at breakfast or tea. Irish Brown Bread is a dense loaf made without yeast, eaten with swaths of butter or as a sandwich. Sean says everyone’s mother makes a different version of soda bread, so I guess its a bit like NDN fry bread, in that my mom’s is better than yours but I’ll eat it wherever I can get it….

Boxty is an old, hearty potato recipe that has recently become a hot culinary trend not only in Ireland but also across the entire Irish diaspora.

My Irish friend Carole Coleman sent me this folk poem when I asked her last week about boxty, since I know it has become a trendy dish on Ireland itself. It goes like this:

Boxty on the griddle

Boxty in the pan

If you can’t make boxty

You’ll never get your man.

Sean described boxy as basically a potato pancake made by frying finely grated raw potatoes mixed with flour, baking soda, buttermilk and egg. Boxty differs from hash browns, latkes or Indian aloo tikka by its smooth,creamy texture. I hesitate to say cake….but that’s the word commonly used to describe it…. A cakey boxy looks like this (keep in mind there are all sizes and thicknesses of the cake, this is just an example.)

from www.edible-ireland.com

I had a lovely boxy at Fado in Annapolis the other day at a Jameson Whiskey dinner. It was more of a crepe, with steak and yumminess inside and a delicious gravy poured over. In fact, the Irish meaning of bacstaí or arán bocht tí is “poor-house bread”. I take that to mean a simple batter made into a poor mans sandwich filled with leftovers….

Yes, we are back to the P alliterations. I am so happy Christmas is almost here so I can have my annual Mr. Popper’s Penguins grammar fix.

Jim Carrey in Mr. Popper’s Penguins

So, today I am writing about …pumpkins, pepitas and pomegranates and why they are so great together.

Here is why: the pumpkin is rich, with an earthy, sweet flavor. The pepitas are crunchy and slightly salty. The pomegranates are a tiny jewel-box, burst of flavor that adds color, pop and interest.

So now you have sweet, salty and savory so you need sour: this comes in the form of dairy. Goat cheese, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, nutty cheese (gruyere). I do love bleu cheese with pomegranates, because of the intense salt matched with the sweet, but not with pepitas. More with walnuts or pecans.

With this in mind, I have made several dishes with this autumnal flavor combination lately:

a simple breakfast of Greek yogurt whipped with a teaspoon of pumpkin puree, topped with a little tiny bit of honeycomb and garnished with plenty of pepitas and pomegranate;

a side dish (or snack) of diced butternut or sugar pumpkin, tossed with a little bit of olive oil and sea salt and roasted until caramelized, then garnished with the seeds;

an entree of stuffed delicate squash, with the pepitas and pomegranate tossed along with various vegetables from the garden.

and the snack I will get to in just a second.

a florette of delicate squash filled with roasted vegetables, pepitas and pomegranate.

First I have to say (again) that #2 is just the pickiest eater. He is getting better: he actually ate the noodles from some pho soup last week and he had a little taco meat on a shell last night (like 3 little crumbles, but I guess that counts). So feeding him is a lesson in patience. A lesson I am still mastering.

Since I know how to eat healthy, and since I do try hard to feed my family healthy, I find feeding #2 to be especially aggravating because he only wants food from packages. I have an issue with food from packages. I know this makes me weird…..maybe that’s a post for another day…I need to come up with a word for it….

So I made this snack the other day, and he WENT TO TOWN! He was licking the bowl, the spoon, trying to get to the blade of the processor! So I guess this means I did good. Here is what he doesn’t know: IT WAS GOAT CHEESE. AND PUMPKIN. I think he thought it was cream cheese, so maybe a bagel was coming….instead, he got several colors from the rainbow, healthy pumpkin, (I really DO NOT like the “Super Food” phrase–it’s a dirty word in my lexicon–so I won’t use it here, but you can think it) pomegranate, some vitamins and anti-oxidants and clean protein.

Pumpkin Spread with fresh pomegranates and pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Here is the recipe, which both kids really loved. He wouldn’t eat the pomegranate seeds, even though #1 and I tried to come up with every monster-ish, bloody, gooey and gross name for them we could think of. Small steps on a long path though……I’ll take ’em.

The other night we gathered nine friends together for fondue. Hosted at the home of Jessica Martin Marinello, the evening was stellar not only for the unique group of gals (guests hailed from Belgium, France, Spain and all over the United States) but most especially for fantastic food and generous flutes of champagne.

Liz Saucier, an amazing photographer , owner of her own studio in fact, helped make the cheese fonduewith a combination of an AOC 1 year gruyere found at Tastings Gourmet Market and a fresh appenzeller found at Wegman’s. I had searched for vacherin and emmethaler to no avail. According to Stacey Adams, fromeger at Tastings, vacherin is quite expensive so imports are difficult to source. And emmenthaler is seasonal, so sometimes it is difficult to find as well. Funny enough, just today I did find emmenthaler at Whole Foods Market, but that was far after the fact….. I purchased a bottle of dry white wine at Wine Cellars of Annapolis which was excellent–both for cooking, and more importantly, for drinking!

Fondue

1 cup or more crisp, dry white wine

2 large cloves of crushed garlic, or finely minced

2 TS cornstarch

1 ½ lbs grated or cubed gruyere cheese

¼ C kirsch (optional)

Rub the pot vigorously with the crushed garlic. Some recipes instead add minced garlic to the cheese.

In a bowl, mix the cornstarch into the cheese.

In a pan over medium heat, heat the wine to simmering then add the cheese/cornstarch. Heat slowly stirring constantly until the cheese is melted and smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little wine. Add kirsch if using.

You can do all this in a fondue pot with an adjustable temperature, or you can do it on the stove top and transfer to a fondue pot. Be sure to check the flame on the pot to maintain the texture of the cheese over the course of the meal.

Traditional fondue is served only with dense, country style bread cut into thick cubes. The bread should be a little dry, but not crispy. Some Americans like to dip cut vegetables. I think oven-baked French fries or tiny boiled new potatoes are especially delicious.

I prepared a fondue chinoise with a beef broth base and traditional herby tones that I thought would go well with fresh mushrooms and a dry aged steak purchased by Catherine Greene. It was a bitter cold evening and I thought a rich, smooth, meaty broth would be soothing and soulful… and a cointerpoint to the cheese.

Fondue Chinoise is like Chinese hot pot. Prepare a broth, then cook thin slices of tenderloin, chicken, mushrooms, steamed potatoes and other veggies in it. Remove the cooked food from the pot with your long fondue fork, then eat it with your home-made sauces. At the end, let each guest ladle a bit of the broth, now bolstered with the flavors of the meat and veggies, to drink.

8 cups beef stock

1 cup red wine

2-3 beef bones with marrow

2-3 Fresh thyme sprigs or 1 TB dried

1 fresh rosemary sprig or 1 TB dried

2-3 sprigs fresh parsley

1-2 bay leaves

5 black peppercorns

5 whole cloves

1 star anise (optional)

4-5 juniper berries (optional)

¼ c Worcestershire sauce or more to taste

S & P to taste

Combine the ingredients up to anise. Bring to a simmer and cook for a couple hours while you prepare the sauces and desserts.

Strain and defat.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and season to taste.

Bring back to a simmer, transfer to the fondue pot.

Jessicaprepared the fondue bourguignonne using canola oil. She and Liz, as well as Valerie Toomey, who is from Lyon outside of Paris, brought a variety of sauces. Thankfully they sent me their recipes, because they were simply amazingly outstanding. We all know I have a picky palate and there was nothing I could say about the sauces other than brava!

Fondue Bourguignonne

You must use a copper, stainless steel or cast iron fondue pot for oil fondue. Ceramic versions may crack or be otherwise unsafe.

Heat peanut or canola oil in a pan or the fondue pot (you need enough oil to fill the fondue pot ½-2/3 full) to 350°. If heating on the stovetop, transfer to the fondue pot. Maintaining the heat, dip thinly sliced tenderloin, chicken or seafood such as shrimp, mushrooms or potatoes. Enjoy with the sauces.

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Meet Diana

I live on the East Coast, but I am a West Coast girl at heart! My family is full of crazy, wild women who live life to the fullest, and I am proud to follow in their footsteps. Did I mention I love to travel? We never sit for too long and are eager to share with you all we know about our adventures. We are always on the hunt for cool, hip artisans and entrepreneurs who like to share their fresh, local ideas and products. Join me to forage for a more flavorful life! Read More…

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